Saturday, November 28, 2015

1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Town Victoria

"So low . . . so lively . . . and OH, so lovely . . . here's the beauty queen of the hardtops! The luxuriousness of the Fairlane 500 Town Victoria's appointments and riding comfort are in a class once reserved for the highest-priced cars alone. With its wide-open Victoria look, 4-door convenience and spacious interiors, this car is a standing invitation to families and friends to go places and do things. And go it will, with the smooth, spirited action of its ultra-modern Interceptor V-8. You'll ride in the most silent, solid comfort imaginable, thanks to the shock-absorbing design and enormous strength of the new 'Inner Ford' that lies beneath the stunning beauty of every Ford for '58."

This colorful Ford Fairlane 500 hardtop from Sancti Spiritus shows a fascinating styling element: the beltline rises up at the C-post and intersects with the sloping roofline to form a chromed "X". Albeit being generally mainstream in matters styling, Ford more than once managed to stand out with some interesting design details.

The 1958 Fords were based on the 1957 models, but came updated with quad headlights (absolutely de rigueur for new cars on American roads that year), a massive new honeycomb front grille and fresh trim all-around to let you know from a distance that here came the latest and greatest fullsize Ford.

As dashing as the Ford looked, it sailed right into an economic recession that made Detroit's "Big Three" suffer and the "independents" rejoice. Ford's production dropped by 40 percent. But already next year, the company could recover and the 1959 models would bring Ford's sales back on par with its all-time contender Chevrolet.